Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is a little rich coming from the guy who voted against the national school food program. I would like to say that Food Banks Canada does exceptional work and it also makes good recommendations for government. One, it suggests we build up Canada's social safety net. Two, it says we should solve the affordable housing crisis and we should help lower-income workers make ends meet. All…
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Mr. Speaker, the hypocrisy from the Conservative side today is just astonishing. They have not listened to any of the recommendations from the Food Banks report. What gets me going even worse is that earlier this year when the leader of the Conservative Party lost his job, he did not lose his house. That is because he lives in government-subsidized, non-market housing, but every time he has the ch…
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Mr. Speaker, there is an old saying about people in glass houses. Well, a lot of the Conservative members also have quite a few investment properties. They rent out their units. However, for another thing, I just want to reiterate that their leader, Pierre Poilievre, did not get re-elected, and he continues to live in taxpayer-funded government housing. What is clear is that any time the Conservat…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians remember when Pierre Poilievre stood in front of a Canadian woman's house in Niagara Falls and called it a “shack”. I remember when Pierre Poilievre stood in the House and called the co-op where I grew up “Soviet-style” housing. Now, if that were not enough, the Conservatives are stigmatizing modern, modular, affordable housing as shipping containers. The Conservatives voted…
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Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from the Green Party for always raising issues of importance, for being the conscience of this place in so many instances and certainly for being such a stalwart for environmental protection. As is often the case, we get kind of stuck on one idea or one notion, and a couple of words come to mind, certainly from the Conservative Part…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my neighbours in Burlington North—Milton West for their confidence, but I would also like to sincerely thank the good people of Carleton for electing a fantastic community champion as their member of Parliament. The community sport for all initiative lifts people up by breaking down barriers to physical activity, with programs such as Dribble Dreams in Milton a…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate you on your election. At this time, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I would also like to wish my colleague and friend from Bow River a merry Christmas. He used to be a teacher and taught one of my former colleagues, my friend Sherraine, and she always asks me how the member is doing. I tell her we have lively debates into the wee hours sometimes, but I do genuinely appreciate the opportunity. I also appreciate the opportunity to say merry Christmas …
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), since 2018, Sport Canada has worked in consultation with experts and athletes to promote safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for all sport participants, bolstered by investments in budgets 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, OSIC, was launched by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, SDRCC, in June 2022 as…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is nice to be here in adjournment debate with my colleague from Bow River. Unfortunately, once again tonight, my colleague over there is spreading misinformation about carbon pricing to discredit the system, and that is misleading Canadians. Just recently, the Agriculture Producers Association of Saskatchewan estimated that a large, 5,000-acre farm spends around $10,000 a year on…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to read a quote from the RCMP commissioner: The RCMP can confirm having received all the documents from the Office of the House of Commons Law Clerk relating to...SDTC which were collected in August pursuant to an Order of the House of Commons.... The RCMP has concluded that the available reports do not identify any criminal offences or evidence of criminal wrongdoing at …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I apologize for interrupting, but the RCMP has said repeatedly that it has all the documents it needs to conduct the investigation.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is a real privilege to highlight two incredible organizations in Milton that are making a profound difference in our community. I would like to acknowledge the Special Friends Network and its inspiring dream kitchen initiative. By partnering with the Halton Down Syndrome Association, chef Brandon Bousfield and team are creating opportunities for those with special needs to develop …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his impassioned speech this afternoon. I would like to wish him and his family a merry Christmas, and of course, I express my condolences on the passing of his brother. I was raised in a Catholic household and went to church. I since have not attended church. I have taken a slightly different path personally, but I attended catechism, and …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague will not be surprised to hear that I disagree that effective climate policy, climate action and emissions reductions are chasing away investment. They do not. They do the opposite, in fact. The world wants cleaner and greener electricity. The world demands cleaner and greener energy, oil products and fuels, and that is where we have to go. Many of the oil companies, and t…
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It is the Badgers, okay. Mr. Speaker, I am a big fan of sports and I love that we celebrate that collectively, as we did last week when our Olympic and Paralympic teams were here. It was a nice moment of non-partisan celebration here in the House of Commons for everyone. On to the issue of the day, which is the emissions cap that our government has proposed very proudly. We are one of the first oi…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleague in welcoming his daughter Jada to the House of Commons and to Ottawa. As well, I would like to join my colleague in welcoming the Shaunavon Badgers to Ottawa. Since there is no Milton team in the tournament, I presume, I can cheer for the Shaunavon Badgers. Is it the Badgers, Jeremy?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight that just on Friday, I was able to make an announcement in Acton in the riding of Halton Hills, which is very close to Milton, with the mayor, Ann Lawlor, and the regional chair, Gary Carr. The announcement was about a project that used three different federal programs: the enabling accessibility fund, some CMHC funding and a reaching home grant. It is more t…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, team Canada is in the House of Commons today. Our best athletes, Olympians and Paralympians, from across the country are here so that we can all congratulate them on their success and thank them for representing Canada so well. From Milton, we have Michael Foley, who is a track cyclist, and Kayla Alexander, who is an amazing basketball player. I was one of these athletes eight years a…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time today with the member for Kings—Hants. Nine years ago, under the Conservative Party, Canada used to be one of the worst performers. Organizations such as Climate Action Tracker now recognize that Canada's plan is credible and transparent. The latest UNEP gap report says that Canada has the first comprehensive road map for how to achieve the 2030 target. Thi…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and friend for his question. We are committed to building the future by shifting our economy toward electricity and greener energies. There have been a lot of investments in Quebec as well. I spoke about the investments in Ontario because that is where I live, but there is a lot of green and sustainable investment in Quebec, particularly in the cri…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her climate advocacy. It is absolutely horrid to imagine all the devastation that has occurred in Canada. We know that Canada is warming at three or four times the average rate of the rest of the world due to climate change, and it is indeed a crisis. However, I am very proud of the fact that Canada is not only the oil and gas-producing nation …
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Madam Speaker, I am thrilled to talk about the net-zero accelerator fund, because one of the largest emitters in southwestern Ontario is our critical steel sector. We know that steel is an important product for various things right across the country, from automotive to construction and many other practical applications, but, until now, it has always required thermal coal for its production. Thank…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I think the Conservative photocopier must be out of toner because they have asked the same question 15 times today. I will say it again. GDP per capita, under Harper, rose by $1,800 in a decade. In the last decade, under this Liberal government, it has risen by over $11,000. I hope their batteries in their calculators are okay, as $11,000 is more than $1,800. Yesterday, the Conserva…
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He is making stuff up, Madam Speaker. This is coming from an MP who sent homophobic mail to households during an election to attack an opponent. This is coming from an MP who published a deepfake video and a misinformation campaign that caused the London Free Press to say the same tactics are being mirrored on a larger scale by Russian disinformation campaigns. This is coming from an MP who has sa…
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Madam Speaker, let us stick to the facts. Over 10 years of Stephen Harper, we saw GDP per capita grow by $1,810. After eight years of this Liberal government, we have seen it grow by over $11,000. Not only are we better for economic growth in this country, we are also introducing mechanisms that are really leading to affordability for Canadians, like P.E.I.'s new school food program. We introduced…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, today is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, and today, I am reaffirming my support for Canada's recognition for Palestinian statehood. Canada recently voted in favour of two UN resolutions to signal our deep concerns over the expansion of Israeli settlements into the occupied Palestinian territories and to express our unwavering support for Palestinian …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I agree that this is a broad spectrum. It is meant to help Canadians buy presents. I remember, when I was a kid, there was a Nintendo under the tree one year. It really surprised my brother and me because we came from a modest household. If this will help bring joy to young kids, then I support it.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for his great question. It is an important question because, as I said earlier, it allows us to examine which products should or should not be taxed. It is a good opportunity to discuss some of the items out there in the market that have tax on them. They are not the same across jurisdictions. We have all been looking into this recently and we are all surprised to no…
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Mr. Speaker, that member should get on the list to speak tonight. He has probably already done three speeches about the previous thing on the agenda. If he wants to speak, he can ask me a question. I hope he would learn to wait for his time. If he wants to speak, he has to get a tie. He is going to sit in the back row and complain. There are things we can do to help Canadians. The Conservatives ha…
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Mr. Speaker, we are acknowledging that, not by using them as props, and standing in front of people who are facing challenges in Canada and suggesting some group of people is not doing anything, but by actually doing something. The Conservatives cannot claim to have helped Canadians once in the last nine years. Other parties have put forward private members' bills, ideas, amendments and changes to…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. Restaurants Canada supports this measure. In my opinion, and according to Restaurants Canada, this measure encourages people to go out to eat and gives Canadians an opportunity to spend their hard-earned money. I would say that measures like this will help every single Canadian. That is why it is unique. It is an opportunity for us all to get beh…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, on a point of order, I move: That the debate be now adjourned.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is nice to be here late into the evening talking about an important measure to support affordability for Canadians. Before I start, I would like to say that I will be sharing my time with the member for Beauport—Limoilou. I would like to just say that I think this is a good measure to support affordability at the right time. Measures like this are all about timing, and if we go b…
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Mr. Speaker, I apologize to the member. It has been a long day in the House of Commons. Yes, I know Erin O'Toole was never the prime minister, but he was the leader of the Conservative Party. When Erin O'Toole was the leader of the Conservative Party back in the fall of 2021, when inflation was over 4%, he recommended a GST holiday in Canada to provide some tax relief to Canadians. That was bad ti…
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Mr. Speaker, I move: That the debate be now adjourned.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, in recent years, Pakistan's democracy has faced some serious challenges, including limited space for dissent, media suppression, judicial manipulation and others. As Milton is home to the largest Pakistani community in Canada, this issue affects many of my neighbours, friends and constituents back home. Human Rights Watch has noted that the military's strong influence over politics un…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Sport Canada acknowledges the history of the use of drugs and banned practices intended to increase athletic performance throughout the sport system and the resulting health impacts, and acknowledges the maltreatment of athletes associated with these practices. The Commission of Inquiry into the Use of Drugs and Banned Practices Intended to Increase Athletic Performance held public he…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is nice to be at adjournment debate with my friend and colleague from the Green Party and Kitchener Centre to discuss how we fight climate change, not just if we fight climate change, which is the conversation we always have with the Conservative Party because it wants to ignore the impacts of climate change. I will say I was a bit struck by the fact that my friend did not mentio…
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Madam Speaker, these are really important issues, but I honestly think that my friend and colleague is conflating two issues. We are taking strong climate action, and we are holding big oil and gas companies to account. All of those big profits that I mentioned, and which he referenced as well, are taxed; they are funding these programs. It is important to recognize that we do travel on modes of t…
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Madam Speaker, the member's ability to fit misleading and untrue rhetoric into a short question is remarkable. Let us stick to the facts. First of all, Alberta has 10% of Canada's population. I love Alberta. I have tons of friends there, and I go to Edmonton, Calgary and Canmore all the time. I absolutely love Alberta and Albertans. I also know that Canada relies heavily on Alberta for energy, and…
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Madam Speaker, the member is right on one thing. I did ignore all of the misleading and mis-characterized allegations he made against the minister. All documents requested by the Parliamentary Budget Officer were 100% delivered on time in full, unredacted. That is why we got a good report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, which indicated exactly what we have been reiterating in the House of C…
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Mr. Speaker, it is disingenuous for the Conservatives to continually link the food bank situation in Canada with carbon pricing. A 108-page report produced by Food Banks Canada made four recommendations around Canada's social safety net. Not once in that 108-page report did it mention the carbon tax or carbon pricing, because it knows that Canada's carbon rebate, which comes out four times a year,…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's emissions are lower now than they have been for all of Connor McDavid's life. The last time they were this low was in 1997. Our emissions are down because of industrial carbon pricing, the pricing on consumer fuels and the over 100 measures the government has undertaken to lower our emissions and protect the environment. What have the Conservatives done over that same time? T…
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Madam Speaker, the Impact Assessment Act is designed to protect the environment, ensure that sustainable projects can move forward safely, and instill public confidence in how the Government of Canada makes decisions concerning major resource projects. As is the case with any designation request, the portion of the request pertaining to the battery recycling plant is being reviewed by the Impact A…
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Madam Speaker, it is a great pleasure to be here for the late show tonight. I know that the plant is in Quebec, but I will answer in English. I thank my friend and colleague, the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, for her ongoing advocacy for all environmental causes in Canada. She really is a legend. This past June, the Government of Canada delivered on its promise to quickly and meaningfully …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his very important question. The climate change performance of Canada and Canadian industries is important. It is also really important to recognize that the oil and gas sector is the one that is continually increasing its emissions, and we are challenging the oil and gas industry with a pollution cap. We are asking it to invest some of its aston…
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Madam Speaker, let us talk about GDP per capita over time in Canada. Between 2006 and 2016, Canada's GDP per capita under Harper grew from $40,504 to $42,134. That is about $1,800 over 10 years. Under the current Liberal government, it has grown from $42,000 a year to $53,372 in 2023. That is more than $11,000. Conservatives do not need to pull out their calculators: $11,000 is more than $1,800.
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Madam Speaker, we are working on the challenges Canadians face with real solutions. At the current time, inflation is down, interest rates are down, unemployment rates are down and greenhouse gas pollution rates are down. Despite what these climate change-denying Conservatives say, CO2 is not plant food. That absurd Conservative claim that reducing our carbon emissions would somehow be bad for cro…
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Madam Speaker, let us stick to the facts. Canada's overall emissions are the lowest they have been since 1997, the year Connor McDavid was born, and they are going down thanks to climate action undertaken by this Liberal government. The Alberta oil sands are by far the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada, and the Conservatives want to turn a blind eye to unlimited pollution in the…
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